BSP smells foul play, to observe black day on 11th of every month

Continuing her tirade against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for her party's humiliating defeat in Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Wednesday accused the saffron party workers of tampering with the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and announced to observe black day on the 11th of every month.

"The BJP tampered with the EVMs and to hide their crime they are saying in social media as to why didn't they win in Punjab, Manipur and Goa if they tampered with the machines. They didn't pay attention to Punjab because they didn't have a very good relation with the Akalis. And if they have not done anything then why are they giving clarifications via the media? Why are they saying that they have not done any tempering?" she said while addressing her party workers here.

Mayawati further alleged that the EVMs were tampered with in such a way that whichever button was pressed, the vote went to BJP.

Questioning as to how the votes in Muslim-dominated areas went in favour of the BJP, she said, "I don't think so anyone will agree to the fact that BSP got such less votes in Muslim and Dalit dominated areas.

"Most votes in Muslim and Dalit majority constituencies have gone to the BJP; this makes it evident that voting machines were manipulated. Either the EVMs did not accept votes other than BJP or the votes of other parties have gone to the BJP in the EVMs," she added.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said the former has been dreaming about forming government again in 2019 post the BJP's win in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, adding the reality is that the BJP won courtesy dishonesty.

"This electoral victory by the BJP symbolizes dishonesty and murder of democracy; this can be further proven by looking at BJP's fictitious smile," she added.

The BJP witnessed an unprecedented victory with 321 seats in the assembly elections contested for 403 seats, while the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance bagged 54, the BSP got 19 and others bagged 18 seats respectively.